Fastener

Abstract

A plastic fastener for securing moldings to frames in vehicles. The fastener includes minor slots formed in the fastener and adjacent to a coupling structure. The minor slots provide sufficient flexibility to allow the fastener to flex inward under pressure, thereby permitting the coupling structure to move between an engagement position and a retracted position. The fastener is pushed through an opening in the frame. The opening is sized such that the edges of the opening apply pressure to the fastener as it moves through the opening, thereby moving the coupling structure toward its retracted position. When the fastener completely in the opening, the pressure is relieved, and the coupling structure snaps back to its engagement position, thereby engaging the edges of the opening and securing the fastener thereto. The fastener may be removed from the opening by applying sufficient pressure to again move the coupling structure to its retracted position. The minor slots give the fastener the flexibility to permit its coupling structure to move back and forth between its retracted and engagement positions with a reduced likelihood of breakage.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A fastener for securing a molding or the like to the frame of a vehicle or the like, comprising: a) an elongated fastener body made of sturdy but pliable plastic material;   b) a flange formed unitarily with, and encircling one end of, said body, said body being elongated in a direction away from said flange;   c) a major slot for receiving a connector formed into said body from said one end of said body, said slot extending from an open end at said one end of said body through a major portion of the length of said body and forming a closed passage from said open end to a closed end;   d) two minor slots formed in said body from said one end of said body and extending through a portion of the length of said body, said major slot being disposed between said minor slots; and   e) a coupling structure including an elongated, wedge-shaped protrusion formed on each of two opposite sides of said body, bracketing said minor slots;   f) each of said elongated, wedge-shaped protrusions being attached to said body along at least a substantial portion of its length, the length of each wedge-shaped protrusion being greater than the length of the corresponding minor slot and each wedge-shaped protrusion being narrower than the width of the corresponding minor slot.   
     
     
       2. The fastener of claim 1 further characterized in that: g) each of said minor slots extends through a minor portion of the length of said body.   
     
     
       3. The fastener of claim 1 further characterized in that: h) each of said elongated, wedge-shaped protrusions is attached to said body along its entire length.   
     
     
       4. A fastener for securing a molding or the like to the frame of a vehicle or the like, comprising: a) an elongated fastener body;   b) a flange formed unitarily with said body at one end of said body;   c) said body being elongated in a direction away from said flange and generally rectangular in cross-section whereby the body has two opposite sides which are relatively wide and disposed substantially parallel to each other along the length of the body;   d) a major slot for receiving a threaded connector screw formed into said body from said one end of said body, said slot extending from an open end at said one end of said body through a major portion of the length of said body and forming a closed passage from said open end to a closed end, said major slot being accessible only through said open end and including opposed interior walls which are relatively wide and disposed substantially parallel to each other along the length of the slot passage;   e) two minor slots formed in said body and acceseible only from the flange of said body and extending through a predetermined portion of the length of said body, said minor slots extending substantially parallel to each other and to said major slot which is disposed between them;   f) a coupling structure including an elongated, wedge-shaped protrusion formed on each of said two opposite sides of said body, bracketing said minor slots and extending along the length of the body away from the flange a distance greater than the distance of the minor slots;   g) each of said elongated, wedge-shaped protrusions being attached to said body along a substantial portion of the protrusion's length, and being narrower than the width of the corresponding minor slot.   
     
     
       5. The fastener of claim 4 further characterized in that: h) each of said wedge-shaped protrusions extends along a major portion of the body length.   
     
     
       6. A fastener and mounting component assembly, comprising: a) a molded plastic fastener having an elongated fastener body and a flange formed around one end of said body;   b) a mounting component including a sheet member having an opening formed therethrough;   c) said fastener body extending through said opening whereby said flange is supported by said sheet member;   d) said fastener body having a major slot for receiving a connector formed into said body from said one end of said body, said slot extending from an open end at said one end of said body through a major portion of the length of said body and forming a closed passage from said open end to a closed end, said major slot being accessible only through said open end;   e) two minor slots formed in said body from said one end of said body and extending through a portion of the length of said body, said major slot being disposed between said minor slots;   f) a coupling structure including an elongated, wedge-shaped protrusion formed on each of two opposite sides of said body, bracketing said minor slots;   g) each of said elongated, wedge-shaped protrusions being attached to said body along a substantial portion of its length, each wedge-shaped protrusion being narrower than the width of the corresponding minor slot and extending along the body away from the flange a distance greater than the distance of the minor slots.   
     
     
       7. The assembly of claim 6 further characterized in that: h) each of said minor slots is formed into said body from an open end at said one end of said body and extends through a portion of the length of said body to a closed end, each of said minor slots being accessible only through a corresponding open end of the minor slot.   
     
     
       8. The assembly of claim 6 further characterized by and including: j) a sealing element between said flange and said sheet material around said opening, whereby the closed end configuration of the major and minor slots and the operation of the sealing element are effective to prevent moisture from passing through said opening.   
     
     
       9. The assembly of claim 6 further characterized by and including: h) a connector comprising a screw extending through said opening and threaded into the plastic fastener body in said major slot.